The performance of LEDs has been growing consistently for years. However, they first truly took off with the development of thin-film chip technology from OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. This technology enabled us to make extremely bright LED chips and arrange them in dense patterns to produce large illuminated areas – for high power light sources in a variety of applications.

For this development, two OSRAM researchers together with a colleague from the Fraunhofer Institute, Jena, were awarded the German Future Prize for Innovation and Technology by the German Federal President in 2007.

Thanks to this quantum leap forward in technology, our LEDs are today lighting up all sorts of new applications. These include mini-projectors, LCD backlighting, car night vision systems, full automotive forward lighting, as well as street lighting and architainment.

The differences: LED vs. standard lighting

• high energy savings compared to halogen or incandescent bulbs
• small size and therefore flexibility and design freedom
• color saturation
• color variety and controllability
• directed light for external optics
• long life and therefore low maintenance costs with predictable service intervals
• simple dimming with no loss of efficiency
• protection of illuminated objects – LEDs generate no IR or UV radiation
• high reliability and robustness